Back to school

When I tell Spaniards that I am retired, they are generally confused and perhaps think that I don't know what I'm saying. Early retirement is rare in the US, but it is almost impossible in Spain, given how taxes work here. So I often tell them that my visa doesn't allow me to work and that my job this year is to learn Spanish. That is turning out to be truer them I expected.

I was able to enroll in one of the intensive Spanish classes offered by the local government. I attend four days per week, 2.5 hours per day. Add in my two languages exchange partners, and I'll be spending almost thirty hours per week either learning or commuting to my lessons. After a year and a half of retirement, this feels like a huge constraint, especially because the evening classes mean I won't be able to do many social activities. But I'm hoping that if I put my head down, I can make some serious progress by the end of the semester.

Yesterday was my first day. The teacher is great - I think it might be a universal retirement that people teaching immigrants be enthusiastic and encouraging, the same way kindergarden teachers are. The students in my class come from all by over Europe and China, but I am the only native English speaker.

I am normally nervous starting new things, but not yesterday.  Classes can be intimidating because I have to talk to new people and there are exams that I want to do well on. In this case, I am already living a daily language exam, and school can only make it easier.

First day of school photos are compulsory, 

even if you are 48.

Everything is new

 Rain!

I don't know if this is typical, but the changing of the seasons came very suddenly. A few days after I returned from Asturias, we had a few drops of rain and suddenly the weather was in the high 20s instead of the high 30s. Last weekend I found myself walking (with an umbrella, thankfully) in the pouring rain! It was delightful! Everyone has returned from holiday. It's not yet quite the kind of autumn where you're kicking through leaves and eating warm soup, but now that seems like something that could happen someday.

The end of summer means a return to normal life in the city, and I hope to set up something like a regular schedule. The first step is trying to enroll in Spanish classes. The key word here is "trying".There are many private schools that cost a fortune, but in return they make it easy for you to enroll and give them money. In contrast, the government run schools are affordable but come with bureaucracy. I spent three days reading and filling out the forms, and this week I take two two-hour placement exams. At the end I'm not even sure if I'll have be allowed to enroll, because I'm still not sure if I have followed the correct process.

Not following the correct procedure is more or less my life right now. As a new arrival, this constant state of uncertainty is really challenging. Along with the language, I'm learning the culture, history, geography, and bureaucracy. Let's say I want to buy something at a new grocery store. I might get lost on the way to the store (this happens all the time since I moved here). The store might not be open at the time I thought it was, or it might turn out not to be a grocery store. They might not sell that product in Spain. I might not have enough money on my transport card and then not understand how to pay cash on the bus. Almost all of these things have happened at least once, and this is just the grocery store, not even anything important, like a visa or applying to a school!

I am educated and have lots of time and (relatively) lots of money. This gives me an intense amount of respect for immigrants all over the world. It is really hard for me, and yet my experience is comparatively a walk in the park.